Saints versus Cardinals Preview

this is a discussion within the Saints Community Forum; Clubs to face off for first time since playoffs
THIS WEEK: The New Orleans Saints will go on the road for the first of two consecutive weeks when they face the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, ...

Clubs to face off for first time since playoffs
THIS WEEK: The New Orleans Saints will go on the road for the first of two consecutive weeks when they face the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

TELEVISION: The game will be televised on FOX with Chris Rose providing play-by-play and former Cardinals signal-caller Kurt Warner handling color analysis. The game will air in the New Orleans area on FOX 8 and in Baton Rouge on WGMB Channel 44. The game also airs on KADN in Lafayette, WDBD in Jackson, MS and WXXV in the Mississippi Coast.

RADIO: Jim Henderson and Hokie Gajan will call the game on the Saints Radio Network with Kristian Garic on the Saints sidelines. The game will air live on Saints Radio Network originating on WWL 105.3 FM and 870 AM, with pre and post-game analysis. The radio pregame and postgame shows will feature former Saints Steve Korte and Bobby Hebert as well as host Deke Bellavia. National radio broadcasts are available on the Westwood One with Kevin Kugler handling play-by-play and Mark Malone serving as color analyst. Sports USA Radio will also have a national broadcast with Bob Fitzgerald handling play-by-play, John Robinson serving as color analyst and Tony Graziani as sideline reporter.

SPANISH RADIO: Saints 2010 games air in Spanish on the radio station La Fabulosa, WFNO 830 AM. Emilio Peralta and Marco Garcia handle announcing duties.

SERIES: The Saints and Cardinals have played 25 times in the regular season, with Arizona holding a 13-12 advantage. New Orleans has won seven of ten since the Cardinals moved to Arizona in 1988.The series between the two teams has been defined by hard-fought contests and lengthy periods of dominance for both clubs. The Cardinals won the first three games in the series, including both games played in 1968 when the two clubs were rivals in the NFL’s Century division. The Saints won their first game against the Cardinals on Nov. 2, 1969, when they defeated the Cardinals 51-42 at Busch Stadium. The game still stands as the highest scoring output for the Saints in a game as well as the most points between two clubs in team history. The two clubs would combine for 80 points on Oct. 23, 1977 at St. Louis in a 49-31 Cardinals victory, the third highest scoring game between two clubs in team annals. In another memorable contest, the Saints beat the Cardinals 14-0 on Dec. 8, 1974 in the final black and gold contest played at Tulane Stadium. Arizona would win four straight games from 1977-1982. New Orleans would capture four straight victories from 1990-93. In games played since the franchise moved to Arizona, the Saints lead the series 4-2, all of which were played at Sun Devil Stadium. This will be New Orleans’ regular season debut at University of Phoenix Stadium.

LAST MEETING: The Saints punched a ticket to their second NFC Championship game appearance in four years and overcame a 70-yard rushing touchdown by Arizona on the first play of the game to throttle the Cardinals 45-14 on January 16, 2010. The victory allowed the Saints to host their first NFC Championship in franchise history against the Minnesota Vikings inside the Louisiana Superdome the following Sunday.

On the first play from scrimmage of the contest, Arizona RB Tim Hightower found a hole and rushed

70 yards for a touchdown to give the Cardinals an initial 7-0 lead. The New Orleans defense would settle down after that initial score, as they only allowed 31 yards on the ground in the remainder of the contest.

After that opening run for a score to give Arizona the initial lead of the contest, it was all Saints for the remainder of the first quarter as New Orleans scored three touchdowns. RB Lynell Hamilton got into the end zone on a one-yard run on New Orleans' first possession of the game. On Arizona's next offensive play, CB Randall Gay stripped the ball from Arizona WR Jerheme Urban following a reception and it was recovered by S Darren Sharper. Four plays later, QB Drew Brees fired off a 17- yard touchdown pass to TE Jeremy Shockey. Later in the quarter, RB Reggie Bush had a spectacular 46-yard touchdown run down the field to give the Saints a two-touchdown lead.

Arizona got back within seven points of New Orleans towards the middle of the second quarter, when RB Beanie Wells scored on a four-yard run. However, the Saints would take advantage of their next possession and Brees connected with WR Devery Henderson on a 44-yard bomb on a flea flicker play. When Arizona got the ball back, QB Kurt Warner threw an interception that ended up in the hands of DE Will Smith on a play where he faced a ferocious pass rush which would force him out of the game for the remainder of the first half, with Matt Leinhart playing in substitute. Brees would find WR Marques Colston for a two-yard touchdown on the next drive with 1:10 remaining in the quarter, to give the Saints a 35-14 lead going into the half.

The Saints increased their lead on their second possession of the third quarter when K Garrett Hartley successfully booted a 43-yard field goal. However, the Saints would get back on the scoreboard less than two minutes later when Bush scored his second touchdown of the game on an 83-yard punt return for the final points in the contest as the two clubs played to a scoreless fourth quarter as the Saints would advance to within one game of their first Super Bowl appearance for the second time in four years.

CONNECTIONS: Cardinals P Ben Graham appeared in a game for New Orleans in 2008. C Jonathan Goodwin and LB Jonathan Vilma played with Graham and Cardinals S Kerry Rhodes with the New York Jets...S Malcolm Jenkins and Cardinals RB Beanie Wells were teammates at Ohio State...Tight ends coach Terry Malone started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Arizona from 1983-84. Malone tutored Arizona WR Steve Breaston from 2003-05 when he served as offensive coordinator of the Wolverines....Equipment manager Dan Simmons is a St. Louis native, whose father Bill served in the same position with the Cardinals for 22 years. Dan apprenticed for his father during part of that time before coming to New Orleans in 1973...Defensive backs coach Dennis Allen, defensive line coach Bill Johnson and Arizona defensive coordinator Bill Davis served on the same coaching staff in Atlanta. Johnson and Cardinals defensive quality control coach Ryan Slowik served on the same staff in Denver from 2007-08 ... Head coach Sean Payton and Arizona wide receivers coach John McNulty served on the same staff in Dallas in 2003...Arizona scout Malik Boyd played at Southern University and went to training camp with the Saints in 1996... Cardinals scout Jerry Hardaway served as running backs and special teams coach at Grambling from 1978-83...Cardinals video assistant Jeff Gonzalez, a New Orleans native, previously served in the same position with the Saints...LS Jason Kyle attended McClintock (Tempe, Ariz.) High School and was a three-year letterman and two-year starter at Arizona State. Cardinals T Jeremy Bridges played at the University of Southern Mississippi. Kyle and Bridges were teammates in Carolina from 2006-08...Arizona CB Michael Adams played at Louisiana-Lafayette from 2003-06...Arizona tight ends coach Freddie Kitchens served as a graduate assistant at LSU in 2000...Area scout Terry Wooden and Cardinals director, football administration Reggie Terry were college teammates at Syracuse...TE David Thomas and Arizona C Lyle Sedline were college teammates at the University of Texas...Cardinals scout Malik Boyd played at Southern University and went to camp with the Saints in 1996...Arizona C Ben Claxton played at the University of Mississippi...RB Reggie Bush, DT Sedrick Ellis and Cardinals G Deuce Lutui were teammates at the University of Southern California...Cardinals G Alan Faneca is a New Orleans native who played at LSU. Director of player programs Fred McAfee and Faneca were teammates in Pittsburgh in 1998...Cardinals WR Early Doucet prepped at St. Martinsville High School and starred at LSU...WR Robert Meachem, LB Marvin Mitchell and Cardinals DT Dan Williams were teammates at the University of Tennessee....RB Pierre Thomas and Arizona LB Will Davis were teammates at Illinois...DE Alex Brown and Arizona CB Truman McBride, who played at the University of Mississippi, were teammates in Chicago from 2007-09...S Roman Harper and Arizona S Rashad Johnson were teammates at the University of Alabama...TE Jeremy Shockey and Cardinals K Jay Feely were teammates with the New York Giants from 2005-06.

(Kurt Warner calling the play by play... That's pretty cool. I like Kurt Warner. Should be interesting to see how well he does.)